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General => The Common Room => The Lighter Side => Topic started by: Stanwix England on Friday 28 August 20 11:50 BST (UK)
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This made me laugh on the 1911 census. At first I thought the "head" was because they'd copied it rather literally from the instructions, but having seen the other comments I wonder if it was just sarcasm. ;D
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Brilliant, nice to see some humour like that :D
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I have seen someone comment about including the cat in the census
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I can remember seeing - I think on a Find My Past email -- some comments they had found, or knew about on census records.
On an Irish Census record a father had written in the Column headed 'Whether married, widowed, unmarried - etc' --- against his daughter's entry -- 'On the look out' !!
Also - an entry on the 1901 English census gives the female's relationship to the Head of the House as 'Concubine'. (There are other entries through the years which show this relationship for some females actually).
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Sorry - it was 1871!!
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Concubine is not necessarily a derogatory term at that time. According to the OED it means a woman who cohabits with a man without being his wife, as well as a kept mistress.
Stan
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There was an entry on the 1911 for the pet dog whose occupation was 'Ratter' & one on 1891 whose year old baby's occupation was 'mainly teething' ;D ;D
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Oh Josey -- those are brilliant!
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one on 1891 whose year old baby's occupation was 'mainly teething'
Love that ;D
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I saw on , as think 1911 census, wife had written she was " husbands slave" did she have a sense of humour?
Louisa Maud
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;D
My favourite is from the 1911, for a London pub.
Henry James Hirst describes himself as a "persecuted publican" and he calls himself Head? (with a question mark after it!) He describes his wife as a "persecuted publicaness."
He writes, " I have 100 chickens (incubators) 9 canaries 2 dogs (one under 6 mts) and 2 cats (do you want to know how often I go to the Pears?" not sure of that last word! Perhaps someone else can read it better.
"Also some thousands of rats. They are uncountable."
;D
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Just looked up the last post, that is really funny!! ;D
John
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Funnily enough earlier this week I was looking at the 1911 census entry for the magician, "The Great Lafayette". He gives his name as "The Great Lafayette" and under infirmities he has put "too good". He describes his dog, Beauty (given to him by Harry Houdini), as his daughter and her occupation as "independent means".
Tragically both The Great Lafayette and Beauty died the following month. Beauty apparently died of overeating and The Great Lafayette in a fire at the Empire Palace Theatre in Edinburgh.
This is from Wikipedia:
"The body of Lafayette was apparently soon found and sent to Glasgow for cremation. Two days after the fire, however, workers clearing the understage area found another body identically dressed as Lafayette. It transpired that the body at the crematorium was that of the illusionist's body double"
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Oh Gallicrow - what a very tragic story after such a humorous entry on the census.
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I have seen someone comment about including the cat in the census
I've long regretted the fact I didn't record the details of a 1911 Census I came across where the family cat was listed.
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Concubine is not necessarily a derogatory term at that time. According to the OED it means a woman who cohabits with a man without being his wife, as well as a kept mistress.
Concubine should be revived, along with paramour. So much more pleasing than partner, and less ambiguous.
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But what do you then call the male partner? [Other genders are available].
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Porcupine?
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Mr Josey may be prickly sometimes but I'd hesitate to call him that ;D ;D
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But what do you then call the male partner? [Other genders are available].
Paramour, as I suggested. It is gender neutral.
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I once saw a film of a census that was filmed with a squashed bug on it.
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Funnily enough earlier this week I was looking at the 1911 census entry for the magician, "The Great Lafayette". He gives his name as "The Great Lafayette" and under infirmities he has put "too good". He describes his dog, Beauty (given to him by Harry Houdini), as his daughter and her occupation as "independent means".
Tragically both The Great Lafayette and Beauty died the following month. Beauty apparently died of overeating and The Great Lafayette in a fire at the Empire Palace Theatre in Edinburgh.
This is from Wikipedia:
"The body of Lafayette was apparently soon found and sent to Glasgow for cremation. Two days after the fire, however, workers clearing the understage area found another body identically dressed as Lafayette. It transpired that the body at the crematorium was that of the illusionist's body double"
There is a slight irony, is there not, in somebody dying in a fire ... and the body then being cremated!
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Oh jbml --- you are right - I never thought of that!
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Love this one from 1851.
Hope you can read it ;D
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I love the baby that is "nursed tenderly." That is so sweet. :)
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So funny these entries...I like the 3 year old who..."Stays at home, plays with baby" ;D
Carol
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There didn't seem to be any argumentative siblings amongst that lot....very unusual.
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Wiggy -- brilliant!
I am assuming the father completed the household form and the Enumerator, or his clerk had to write down exactly what was on the form --- it would give them a much needed laugh as well.
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1851 Census - HO107 1692 219 19 (name Ellis)
The columns preceding the Occupation column also make interesting reading. Can anyone help with Henry Ellis' description of himself under "Relation to Head of Family?
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Head
Fruitful wife then bracketed to both husband and wife is “Married safe enough”
Olive Branches around the Table
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1851 Census - HO107 1692 219 19 (name Ellis)
The columns preceding the Occupation column also make interesting reading. Can anyone help with Henry Ellis' description of himself under "Relation to Head of Family?
McKha489 - apologies. I identified the wrong column.
The word I was after was in the "Condition" column - above "safe enough". I was OK with the rest of the entries.
Thanks for working out "Married" - I just couldn't see it.
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Did you see Henry was born in City of Chimney Pots! And In the right hand column - Can hear the church bells, talks tolerably & wears specs when daylight dims
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We also have to remember that the Enumerator obviously had a wonderful sense of humour. ;D
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This is such a good topic and reminds us our ancestors were just as human and playful as we are today.
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Bumble/Millipede - both well said.
I accessed the original 1851 record just to check how the transcribers had treated the entries. When two hits were returned under the search key "Occupation - parents housemaid" I twigged the transcriber had been faithful to the original.
A real tonic.